The Absent Democratic Party In Alabama

Remember when Howard Dean made such a pest of himself with his ludicrous 50 State Strategy, which ran contrary to the political hippie-punching genius that is Rahm Emanuel? This is what you get if you listen to Rahm.

Alabama holds an election for U.S. Senate in 2014. Republican Senator Jeff Sessions is running for re-election. For the first time in Alabama history, the Democrats are not running anyone for U.S. Senate. Here is a list of Democrats running in the June 2014 primary for federal and state office. There are no Democrats running for U.S. House in the 4th and 5th districts. For the 140 state legislative races, no Democrats are running in 57 races.

Jeebus, these people. Jefferson Davis Beauregard Sessions is an incredible blighton the political landscape. You run someone against him, and you decide to run against him, because it is important to make sure the state (and, if you're entirely lucky, the country) gets to see that clearly. Elections clarify things. They put a sharper point on the arguments. They force the issues. They don't do any of that if you don't run someone. Jeff Sessions should have to spend the next six months getting the crap kicked out of him by a Democrat simply because of who Jefferson Davis Beauregard Sessions is, and what he stands for, and because of what he has done (and will continue to do) to places far beyond Alabama. It is the job of Alabama's Democrats to do so because that's the obligation they owe to the rest of the country. Step up, people.

Charles P. PierceCharles P Pierce is the author of four books, most recently Idiot America, and has been a working journalist since 1976.

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